Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse

...and he said "wow" because that was just about all you could say... I don't get it, didn't like it and there are way too many words in the book for the level of the content / age of the kid targeted. Would not buy again.

although the book was delivered as promised,I was disappointed to see that my book was a misprint,with several pages repeated and parts of the book were missing. I did not return it though as it would have cost more than I had paid for the book.

Lilly is a lovable and exuberant mouse who displays enthusiasm for everything: her teacher, her school, the possibilities in life, dancing etc. Her teacher is a rather cool dude - we've usually had one for a teacher and some you can even learn from. I remember some who were just cool and didn't teach. But Lilly LOVES her teacher Mr. Slinger until one day, Lilly can't contain her irrational exuberance over her new purple purse and its contents which she wants to show to everyone in the classroom.

Mr. Slinger wants her to wait. Lilly may have impulse control issues, and she doesn't wait. The purple purse and its contents gets confiscated. Mr. Slinger loses his cool status and Lilly does some stuff she later regrets. Lilly never does things half-way. How this resolves itself completes the story.

Children enjoy seeing other children who do the wrong thing and get in trouble. Lilly provides that enjoyment. This is a fun story with detail - probably best for 5-8 year olds. The illustrations are engrossing and Lilly is lovable. Good time had by all kind of thing.

Kevin Henkes' "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" has long been a big favorite in our family. Henkes not only does superbly human-like mice for the illustrations, but he has a firm grasp on what it is that makes kids tick: the impulsiveness, the buoyancy, the peevishness, and more. He makes Lilly, our heroine, not only, well, human (even though she's a wee white mouse), but utterly sympathetic despite her faults.
Lilly has a fierce admiration for her very cool teacher, Mr. Slinger. Then one fateful day, Lilly shows up with a totally fashionable purple plastic purse (accompanied by "glittery movie star sunglasses with real diamonds"). She, of course, is feeling that she's the height of mouse fashion and glamour, but Mr. Slinger puts a stop to that. He irritates her by taking away the glasses and purse when it's clear that they're impeding Lilly's attention in class. Lilly is furious and takes out her anger on Mr. Slinger in a sneaky way. He meets her anger with patience and understanding, and she is apologetic. All's right with the world by the end of the book.
Henkes has a marvelous and intuitive feel for the way little kids think and how they express themselves. That, combined with his completely charming drawings, means that "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" is a grand way to spend twenty minutes reading to the nearest mouse-loving kid.

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse is a great book to share with elementary students and parents. The main character Lilly loves her teacher Mr. Slinger so much that she wants to be like him when she grows up. One school day, Lilly brings her new and very cool purple plastic purse to school. Lilly is so proud of her new purse that she wants to show it off and all its prized possessions, but instead, Mr. Slinger takes it away during circle time. Lilly was embarrassed and sad about this action. Soon her feelings changed until she became furious with her teacher. When Lilly went to the writing lab that afternoon, she drew a an unpleasant, unkind, and harsh picture of Mr. Slinger that depicts what she feels for him at that moment and later sneaks it into his book bag. However, when Mr. Slinger hands Lilly her things at the end of the day, she finds a kind, sweet, and forgiving note from her teacher and she immediately regrets what she has done. Lilly rushes home to discuss the matter with her parents and decides to punish herself for being unkind and rude to her favorite teacher. She writes him an apology letter, draws a new picture, and with the help of her parents, makes snacks for her class and Mr. Slinger. Lilly arrives at school a little early to deliver her treats and letter. Mr. Slinger is very forgiving and later allows Lilly to share her new purple plastic purse with her classmates during sharing time, along with her tasty snacks.
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse teaches valuable lessons centered on anger, distress, respect and forgiveness. Published in 1996, this book still reflects our societal culture by showing that when we get angry, we sometimes do things that we eventually regret, causing us distress and prompting us to find ways to receive forgiveness. The most important elements of Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse are the respect that Mr. Slinger shows to his students, the respect his students have for him, and how Lilly’s parents respect Mr. Slinger as the teacher. The story exposes the importance of mutual respect between parents, teachers, and students, and how that behavior will translate into providing a more enriched learning experience for the student.

Henkes, Kevin. Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1996. Print.

Lilly loved school adn her teacher, Mr. Slinger, very much.Because she loved Mr. Slinger so, Lilly wanted to be a teacher, andshe always drew Mr. Slinger pretty pictures. One day Lilly came to school with a new pair of sunglasses, three quarters, and a new purple plastic purse that played music when opened. She could not wait until recess to show the class her new things, and so Mr. Slinger took them away until the end of the day. After that Lilly drew an awful picture of Mr. Slinger and hid it in his bookbag. Mr. Slinger returned Lilly's things and she told him she did not want to be a teacher anymore. Mr. Slinger put a note in Lilly's purse, and this made her feel awful about the way she acted. Lilly drew a nice picture, wrote a story, and apologized to Mr. Slinger. Lilly shared her new purse, glasses, and quarters with the class during share time, and Mr. Slinger danced to the music of her purse. Fabulous book! Note to teachers: This is the perfect book for the first day of kindergarten or first grade to express classroom rules. This is how you can teach your students to wait until the appropriate time to share and play. It also teaches manners and accepting responsibility for your actions. I would definetly use this with primary students to show patience.

It is my understanding that "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" is the book that really launched Kevin Henkes from mere picture book drudgery to children's book stardom. Certainly he'd been churning out stories that spoke to kids and their qualms ("Owen", "Chrysanthemum", etc.) Lilly grabbed the world's spotlight and focused it squarely on her cute little shoulders. Though she'd already appeared in two previous Henkesian creations ("Chester's Way" and "Julius, the Baby of the World"), this was Lilly's first foray as a protagonist with her name in the title. As such, the book has been turned into a stage play, been read by millions of small children, and gives spunky kids someone they can identify with and look up to. In short, she's a pip.

Lilly is mightily pleased with her life at the moment. She loves school and she adores her teacher Mr. Slinger. Mr. Slinger (undoubtedly a relation of Miss Twinkle from "Chrysanthemum") is the coolest prof in the world. He wears crazy colored ties, refers to his students as "rodents", provides yummy tasty snacks, and has a penchant for patterned shirts. Lilly is determined to someday be a teacher all thanks to Mr. Slinger. Unfortunately, Lilly's Slinger-love takes a downturn when she brings her new purple plastic purse to class. Noisily displaying it at an inappropriate time, Slinger confiscates the item until the end of the day. In anger, Lilly draws a mean portrait of her teacher and hides it in his book bag. But when the young girl opens her returned purse outside of school, she finds a note reading, "Today was a difficult day. Tomorrow will be better", and some yummy snacks are included. Suddenly wracked with guilt, Lilly decides to make up with her teacher and by the end the two have reconciled joyfully.

Now I was lucky enough to see the Minneapolis Children Theater's production of this particular book (combined with some of Lilly's other adventures to pad it out). And though I'm not a weepy gal by nature, I found myself tearing up during the reading of Mr. Slinger's note to Lilly (i.e. "Tomorrow will be better") as well as when I read the picture book. I don't tear up during children's stage productions and I CERTAINLY don't tear up when reading picture books. Yet here I was, all of 26 years of age, and bawling over the succinct sweetness of Slinger's comforting note. How many books have done this for you recently? How many picture books?

The tale is filled to the brim with the Henkes touches a person expects from his work (be sure to notice the Krazy Kat reference in Lilly's dining room). As per usual there is the comfortable family containing loving parents. And best of all, that wonderful way Henkes has of bringing a happy child to life on the page. No adult reading this book would want to be anyone BUT Mr. Slinger and no child reading it wouldn't want to know him. As for Lilly, she walks the fine line between precocious and precious. And wins. If you're a Henkes fan you won't want to miss this delightful star-making turn. If you're not a Henkes fan, do what you can to cure yourself of this ailment and then immediately read and enjoy this book. It's worth the effort.

A darling book about a little one and some misbehaving due to excitement. Lilly want to share so badly that she is very disruptive to her class. Mr. Slinger, the teacher is patient at first but soon takes action to stop Lilly's behavior. The teacher Lilly once loved becomes a monster she really doesn't like any longer. She even writes him a nasty note. Lilly soon finds out that Mr. Slinger is still her hero. I won't spoil the ending! This is a great read for the first day of school. Students can connect to Lilly. They understand her need for attention and I am sure most students have misbehaved to get that attention. This will start a good discussion about what Lilly could of done instead of being disruptive, what good behavior looks like, and why teachers sometimes have to take things away from students. Also, after Lilly sneaks the teacher the note and Mr. Slinger gives Lilly the purse back, this is a good time to make predictions about what might happen. Furthermore, how would you students deal with the situation Lilly has gotten herself into with this nasty note she wrote. Lots of teaching possibilities with this book.

I just started student teaching this semester and this was the first book I read to my third grade class. Some read it already, but were still very excited to hear it again and again!

Kevin Henkes' books are great to read in the classroom or to your children because the characters have great unique characters (yes, they are mice) and they all face problems that all kids can relate to. His books are fun and witty. Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse is no exception.

Lilly is a memorable mouse with an explosive personality (Lilly also appears in the books, Julius: the Baby of the World, and Chester's Way). She loves school, partly because of her super cool teacher. But Lilly gets out of hand when she brings her new purple purse to class and can't wait to show it off. She makes some bad decisions in the heat of the moment, but eventually feels guilty and tries to fix them. This book is a great tool to teach kids about emotions, decision-making, and community building in classrooms, AND it's just a fun book to read!

A darling book about a little one and some misbehaving due to excitement. Lilly want to share so badly that she is very disruptive to her class. Mr. Slinger, the teacher is patient at first but soon takes action to stop Lilly's behavior. The teacher Lilly once loved becomes a monster she really doesn't like any longer. She even writes him a nasty note. Lilly soon finds out that Mr. Slinger is still her hero. I won't spoil the ending! This is a great read for the first day of school. Students can connect to Lilly. They understand her need for attention and I am sure most students have misbehaved to get that attention. This will start a good discussion about what Lilly could of done instead of being disruptive, what good behavior looks like, and why teachers sometimes have to take things away from students. Also, after Lilly sneaks the teacher the note and Mr. Slinger gives Lilly the purse back, this is a good time to make predictions about what might happen. Furthermore, how would you students deal with the situation Lilly has gotten herself into with this nasty note she wrote. Lots of teaching possibilities with this book.

I just started student teaching this semester and this was the first book I read to my third grade class. Some read it already, but were still very excited to hear it again and again!

Kevin Henkes' books are great to read in the classroom or to your children because the characters have great unique characters (yes, they are mice) and they all face problems that all kids can relate to. His books are fun and witty. Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse is no exception.

Lilly is a memorable mouse with an explosive personality (Lilly also appears in the books, Julius: the Baby of the World, and Chester's Way). She loves school, partly because of her super cool teacher. But Lilly gets out of hand when she brings her new purple purse to class and can't wait to show it off. She makes some bad decisions in the heat of the moment, but eventually feels guilty and tries to fix them. This book is a great tool to teach kids about emotions, decision-making, and community building in classrooms, AND it's just a fun book to read!

Thank you Kevin Henkes for bringing Lilly back again to
center stage. Here she cannot keep her new purple plastic purse
a secret until show-n-tell and so she loses it to Mr. Slinger
until day's end. Her fury at his actions leads her to write
a demeaning letter complete with illustrations . Understanding
parents help redeem the day and Lilly is reconciled to her beloved
teacher. Her typically passionate personality reminds me of
many second graders I've met. The wild swings between
exhuberance and despair all in one 24 hour period is so common.Any
one who has ever found it hard to wait for their turn is bound
to identify with Lilly. Read this aloud the first day of school!

Kevin Henkes spins a wonderful tale that appeals to many age groups with the fun story of Lilly and her new purse. Lilly loves her teacher and school, but her normally attentive nature is put to the test when she brings her new purse and accessories to class one day. Woven with lessons about the importance of patience, listening, and responsibility, the story is accompanied by colorful and simple illustrations depicting the young mouse Lilly and other characters in ordinary classroom situations every child can relate to. Your children will love reading this with you; you'll have to read every delightful caption. Something in the story will make adults laugh every time they read it too. Very well rounded and enjoyable work.

Despite the fact that his books feature anthropomorphic mice, Kevin Henkes' characters are always strikingly realistic. Lilly is no exception.

When she gets a COOL PURSE from her grandma, she has a predictably hard time waiting until Show-and-tell... so hard a time that she doesn't wait. And it's confiscated.

Then she - predictably - is upset at her teacher instead of herself. So she writes him a nasty letter... which she repents from when she realizes he doesn't totally hate her after all.

The descriptions of her feelings are just right, and she settles her problem in just the way I'd suggest to a kid in her situation.

"Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" is an intelligent and sophisticated parable for the modern child. Entirely convincing in its portrayal of life's lessons, readers learn through Lilly's misadventures the mechanics of socially responsible behavior. Thoroughly entertaining, it is ideal for children ages 3-8, particularly those entering nursery school or the primary grades with examples of cause and effect (namely inappropriate action results in punishment while compliance is rewarded). Expressive texts with detailed and often humorous illustrations are sure to prompt cheers for more. Fun and memorable, Lilly is an endearing character who would dare declare herself queen of children's literature. Readers just might agree.

My daughter brought this book home today from her school library! I can't believe this is the first time I've read this book :) It's been a while since I've read a book that I've LOVED this much. The book dedication plate on this library book was from 2001. This is an oldie but goodie for sure. My daughter said, "Can you read it again?" the minute I closed the book! My 4 year old son loved it as well....don't be fooled by the title. It's not just a girls book.
 Mommy's High Heel Shoes

By Ellie

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse is good for all ages. Lilly, a cute little mouse, loves her new teacher, Mr. Slinger. She goes shopping and gets a new purse. She can't wait to show Mr. Slinger her new gifts. She is a little too excited and gets in trouble. In this book Kevin Henkes is very descriptive and creative in the writing and the pictures. It pulls you in and you can't wait to find out what's going to happen next. The problem of the story and how it resolves itself is very interesting. Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse is a wonderful book.

This story has many qualities that a good children’s book should include. After Lilly acts out when her purse is taken away, there is a simple moral lesson to be learned. The author does a great job of incorporating this into an enjoyable story line that children are sure to love and be able to relate to. I especially enjoyed how the author portrayed Lilly’s teacher, Mr. Slinger, as an understanding and patient adult. This entertaining story is sure to engage children of all ages.

This is a popular read-aloud book in our elementary school library. Looking at the other reviews one can conclude it would be entertaining and effective from preschool to the corporate world.
Rarely does an author capture the emotions of children (and adults) as succinctly as Kevin Henkes does here. His playful illustrations of human-like mice carry the story along and make children want to examine every detail.
While entertaining, "Lilly" teaches some valuable lessons about anger and forgiveness. Something our society could use a bit more of.

Lilly is a delightful mouse who is full of charisma. Her thoughts are those that every child has had. She is a free spirit who dresses in red cowboy boots and glamour glasses. Her admiration of her teacher is tarnished when he corrects her. Her sweet revenge is quickly spoiled when she realizes that he isn't the meanie she has thought him to be. Lilly comes alive right off the pages of Henkes book. She is someone who you'd love to have as a playmate for yourself or for your children. Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse will bring a smile to anyone who reads it.

I believe that Lilly's Plastic Purple Purse by Kevin Henkes is a wonderful book for children to read and a child will gain life lessons from reading this book, along with the other books by Henkes. Lilly's Plastic Purple Purse has a unique way of making Lilly, a mouse, came to life and allows the reader to connect with her.

I believe that this is a great book, and the book also meets the criteria of "what is a good book" in Children's Books in Children's Hands by Charles Temple. This book expands awareness for children, on behaving in the classroom as well as sharing with other students. This book also provides an enjoyable read for children and offers a valuable lesson, but it doesn't overly teach or moralize. This book has a wonderful theme on learning about share time and when to share your favorite things with others; however Henkes does a wonderful job with not overly teaching or moralizing. Also, this book tells the truth. The classroom setting in this book allows for students to relate by being in similar circumstances. Many young children are very eager to share their things with the class, and this book tells the truth about when to share and how to behave during class and also to the teacher. This book by Henkes embodies quality. Although the main character in this book is a mouse, the facial features illustrated and the dialogue allows for the character to become believable. Also, the plot is very convincing and the integrity of the book is satisfying. The plot, language, characters, theme and illustrations all come together to make a satisfying whole. Lilly's Plastic Purple Purse, along with many other books by Henkes, has originality and shows the reader the world from a unique viewpoint. In each of his books, more on this one, he stretches the mind of readers and offers new possibilities for them to think about.

I believe this book is a wonderful tool to have in the classroom for its moral teaching as well as the illustrations. If you enjoy reading this book by Henkes, there are many more out there with other mouse characters that are just as wonderful and appealing to young readers.

My 4 year old daughter LOVES this book. Mostly because she can relate to Lily's excitement about her new plastic purse that plays a "jaunty tune", her glittery movie-star sunglasses, and her jingly coins. I love it because it offers so many little lesson to discuss along the way. We talk about how Lily could've handled things better. We talk about why the pictures show her getting smaller and smaller (she feels remorse for her actions). We talk about how telling her parents what she had done was a great decision because they were able to help her correct her mistake. And, we talk about what to expect at school and how to have good manners, respect, etc. Lily is such a loveable character, and so much like my daughter that it's just natural that we both love her and this book so much! A must have for all pre-school/early school aged girls!

This laugh out loud, heart-warming book is fantastic. There is this little mouse named Lilly. Lilly loves school. She even acts like a teacher to her little brother, Julius. One day Lilly came to school very happy. She brought something very special and her teacher doesn't like it. Lilly keeps a purple plastic purse and she wants to bring it to school. Honestly my favorite part when she teaches her brother the alphabet. I recommend this book for children who like to laugh. Will Lilly get in more trouble? Will her teacher forgive her? Read this funny book to find out.

Lilly loves school and especially her teacher, but can't help breaking a rule one day. Alienation and guilt soon follow. Note that Lilly punishes herself!! Her parents help her reconcile and by the end of the book the world is restored to it's former glory. Great book for giving young kids a roadmap for overcoming conflict and reassuring them that their parents will help them when they make a mistake. This is the book I give most often as a gift. Every child should have this in their library.
Any of the nearly 18,000 graduates of the Education for Ministry program (University of the South at Sewanne, TN), will immediately recognize the Hebrew Scripture's cycle of "Creation, Sin, Judgment, Repentance, and Redemption" in this extremely well written and illustrated book, though you won't see those loaded words anywhere in the text. Perhaps every adult should have this book as well.

This is an excellent read aloud. My class really enjoyed Lily's antics and can relate to her overwhelming desire to show off special things. This is also a great author to use as a mentor in the classroom - we learn how to use emotion and humor, to show rather than tell, and to organize thoughts and ideas in our writing. A+!

Lily will grab your student's attention, or capture your grandchild's heart! Be prepared to search to locate red cowboy boots and a purple plastic purse for those who are deeply attached to this character. (I found both on e-bay!)

My daughter loved this book so much! We visited the Doctor's office one day and found another book by Kevein Henkes "Chrysanthemum". I came to the store.com to order it because of her love of "Lily's Purple Plastic Purse"!

A delightful book with an uplifitng message. The illustrations are super. My class loved it. If you like this book try Suzy, Fair Suzy by Hugh Aaron about a little girl who loses her doll and the arrival of a sibling.

Apart from the sheer entertainment value (wonderful illustrations and a realistic and amusing portrayal of the frustrations faced by the very young when learning to curb their natural exuberance in the confines of the adult world) I loved the way Lilly promotes both self awareness and consequently awareness of others. Tolerance and forgiveness are learnt by example, and what better way than through Lilly's own bond with teacher and parents. My daughter and I live in the UK, so we also enjoyed the cultural and language differnces. A great read!

This is a book that adults will appreciate as much as children. Pay close attention to all that's happening in the illustrations. You can't help but love Lilly, she means well but like any of us she finds herself in trouble. Mr. Slinger, Lilly's teacher is a hero. This is a must read for all kids. Makes a great gift, look for a purple plastic purse and movie star sunglasses to go a long with it! After reading this book you'll find yourself looking for and falling in love with all of Kevin Henkes' books! Wow! That is all I can say. Wow!

My daughter really enjoyed this book. We purchased this and Chrysanthemum and she loves both. I have read these over and over again. This is a cute tail about Lily and her new toy and how she gets in trouble trying to show off her toys in class. It has wonderful detailed artwork and the storyline is very enjoyable.

We read two books to our daughter every night. With that in mind, we pay careful attention to the books we buy to read her. I love all of Kevin Henkes' books. They are both visually delightful and entertaining for both my daughter and I. He manages to be intelligent without being corny, and as I am reading I honestly feel like her vocabulary is being broadened. He never "dumbs down" his book with easy wording. I am also an English teacher and appreciate all aspects of his work.

A very fun and whimsical story that illustrates Lilly's emotional experience and how she deals with her emotions. I highly recommend. My 3 year old son loves it, and is a common birthday gift, especially for girls.

Kevin Henkes is a great author. We read this book aloud to our daughter, and I think I enjoy it even more than she does! He brings to life Lily and her daily school routine, but most importantly, her delight in her purple plastic purse. I had this book from the library, and just HAD to purchase a copy for ourselves to read at home.

This book, about waiting your turn, sharing, and cooling off before responding inappropriately has great applications for the work environment. Reading about Lilly attempts to retrieve a note written in anger from her teacher's grasp reminded me of e-mails sent that one wanted to take back. Besides, it has illustrations that are totally hysterically humorous. A great story.

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse is my absolute favorite children's book! I love Kevin Henke's humor! My 4 year old dtr. and I both giggle thoughout his books. In this book, I adore how Mr. Slinger deals with Lilly's misbehavior --with firmness, kindness and encouragement. Lilly shows how she can be proactive about a mistake by writing an apology.

This is the first book that got my granddaughter interested in reading. Within weeks we had to see the play at the local children's theatre and purchase more books. The author drew her right into the story, and that was only the beginning!

So there I am in the bookstore, doubled over, tears streaming from my eyes and laughing my head off. Store personnel arrive because I look like I'm in pain. After my recent purchase of an Isabella Fiore knock off, I totally related to this girls love for her new purse.

Mae White

I read the book Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. The reason I would recommend this book is so people could decide if they like it even though I didn't. I didn't like this book because Lilly was mean. In the book I read that Lilly was writing mean stuff to her teacher just because the teacher took her stuff away when she wasn't supposed to have it in school. This convinced me that it was not a good book.

My MIL purchased this book for my daughter who is 15 months old. I just recently sat down to read it to her. All in all, a cute book, but I was surprised and annoyed at the illustrations in the book. This book definitely has a liberal slant to it - the teacher wears "artistic shirts" and in the picture, he has the words "Global Village" and "One World" written on the chalkboard. Really? This is supposed to be lower elementary school, and I found that to be a thinly-veiled attempt to convey liberal politics to the reader. Additionally, although not as annoying is that when Lilly's parents help her apologize, the dad is wearing a peace shirt and is making the treats which seemed to be, again, liberal in nature.

The author is free to include his politics in the book, but I thought that parents should be aware of this agenda.